Conclusion

The Samsung PL70 / SL720 is a competent if rather uninspiring compact camera, with an aggressive price-tag being its saving grace.

This point-and-shoot camera ticks all the right boxes, especially for beginners, without really excelling in any one area. Video performance is the stand-out hightlight, with the ability to record, pause and restart 720p footage whilst also being able to use the full zoom range something that most rivals can't match. Unfortunately still image quality is not so hot, with noise at low ISO speeds blighting what are otherwise acceptable pictures. There are lots of similarly-specced cameras that deliver better images than the PL70.

What the PL70 does have firmly on its side is its price. Less than £200 / $250 is very competitive, and that's just the official RRP - we're sure you can find the PL70 for an even better deal with a bit of shopping-around. You'll struggle to find a 12 megapixel, 5x zoom camera with HD video and a wealth of hand-holding modes at this level, making the PL70 a great buy if you can't stretch your budget.

Which leaves us with an affordable camera that's well-suited to its target audience, especially in these financially challenged times - just don't expect anything from the Samsung PL70 / SL720 to be top-of-the-class.